Final Reflection

When this class began I had great confidence in my ability to conduct advanced and highly precise searches.  I started this class knowing how to convert my search query into a question, and then separating the question into two to three key concepts.  I knew how to then create a concept analysis chart using those key concepts.  I also knew a number of search strategies which I could apply to my search query such as, building block approach, citation pearl growing approach, and successive fraction approach.  I thought that each search would dictate which search strategy to use.  However, I have learned that the search interface of the database can strongly dictate the actions that I can take in the database.  Not every database allows you to refine the search by using Boolean logic, truncation, proximity operators and field searching.  Therefore, in order to expand or limit the search you must become familiar with the features of the database.  I believe that the best way to become familiar with the database is by accessing their help menu.  On the other hand, a "Quick and Dirty" search can also reveal whether the database supports fuzzy searching and/or weighted searching, as well as whether it supports natural language or if it encompasses a controlled vocabulary.  Ultimately each database is unique.  However, I believe that to a large extent, familiarity is the key to usability. Hence, a database must be easy to use, easy to learn and easy to remember.
  

Throughout the course of this assignment I was able to find information by using the search terms from my concept analysis chart in the majority of the databases featured in this blog. However, at times it became necessary to only use these terms in order to find the appropriate term for a database’s controlled vocabulary before searching a particular database. For example, in PsycINFO and DIALOG, I had to search for the appropriate terms in the database thesaurus prior to refining my search. Moreover, the only search in which I chose to change my search query was in the social database Smashfuse. I simply wanted to take my research in a new direction; therefore I adjusted my search query. Ultimately, after extensively researching my search query in various databases I have come to the conclusion that this topic is very well covered.  

Today, I have a new understanding of my search topic due to this assignment. The various personal interviews found in many of the articles that I read revealed that students with learning disabilities have a remarkable self-awareness of their disorder. Furthermore, when given the right learning strategies they can achieve academic success. For example, in the article, “Class Placement and Academic and Behavioral Variables as Predictors of Graduation for Students with Disabilities,” the interview data found that most of the participants, regardless of their current educational setting, indicated that they learned best in inclusive settings. The quantitative data indicates that academic history or achieving passing grades was the only significant predictor of graduation within this population of students, when statistically controlling all the other specified variables. Consequently, placing student with learning disabilities or emotional behavior disorders in inclusive classroom settings may give these students the opportunity to achieve passing grades and increase their chances of graduating. That said, many of the articles concluded that students with learning disabilities drop out at higher rates than non-disabled students, which indicates that having a disability creates a particular set of circumstances that can potentially make it more difficult to graduate, and thus have limited employability skills.